vampires and centaurs mix?
by aeryn the vamp
Summary: it's a love story of a female vampire who falls in love with a female centaur. yes there is some sexually oriented stuff in here. please give some reviews. would love to know what people think.
1. chapter 1

"aeryn, someone's here to see you. come downstairs," my mother said.  
i looked at the grandfather clock that stood against the wall across the room frommy bed. it read just after eight at , i wonder who would make a house call this late, i thought. i chuckled as i stood up. the reason behind my laughter was that eight at night was really early for me. i crossed over to my trap door in the floor and opened it. i jumped down and landed on the carpeted floor of the seventh floor corridor below my attic bedroom.  
i sniffed at the air. the scent that drifted up to me was one of burning wood: it was rose. what did she want from me this late at night, i thought as i approached the central staircase. i reached the banister and looked over. there, in the foyer, stood my best friend, and the girl i've secretly been in love with since before she was even born.  
i vaulted myself up and over the railing. i landed in front of her on the first floor. "show off," she muttered.  
"what do you want, rose? why are you here so late? you know i can't have visitors until after ten or before seven," i said.  
"i really need to tell you something, so do you think we could talk, else-where? meaning somewhere a little more private?" she replied as she looked warily at the paintings and photos of my relatives who were watching and listening.  
i nodded and lead her to my uncle richie's library. when i heard the door close i hurried to close the curtains on my sixteen year old third cousin who looked like she was about to watch a very dramatic film, popcorn and all. when i turned back to her i saw that rose had turned bright red with anger.  
"what's wrong rose?" i asked, a look of worry spreading over my face.  
"my parents are telling me that if i don't find a mate by the next blue moon they'll disown me," she said.  
"ok, so what's the problem? why don't you find a mate?"  
"because the one being who i'd want for a mate wouldn't ever want to be with me!"  
"why not? you're a very nice,caring girl who would go out and donate a limb for your friends if they needed you to," i said defensively.  
"really?"  
"why, who is this person?" i asked.  
"you."  
my mind froze. i would've said my heart stopped but my heart stopped over five hundred years ago. this kid that i've known her entire life has just gone mentally out of this demension by telling me this. she's just screwing with me. in a very cruel way. it's not possible for the bad-guy-gone-good to get what they want. ever. i just stood there for a minute, staring at her and then i plopped down into a chair.  
"what's wrong, aeryn?" rose asked, her look was worried.  
"what's wrong?! you're a centaur. i'm a vampire who has been around since 1376. i'm about to be 634 years old. how are you, the girl i've been in love with since we were working at the bank together which was about ten human years ago. that's what's wrong!" i shouted.  
"but why are you so mad?" she asked innocently.  
"because of that," i shreaked as i waved my hands wildly at her.  
"what? what did i do?" she asked, now paranoid about possibly getting me mad.  
"your innocence! you are still so young and yet you want to marry someone who has been through almost every illness and war since 1352! why do you play such cruel jokes?" i cried.  
"i'm not joking. and if you think i'm young i was actually born just a little after you when you were human. i'm not as young as you think i am. besides, i love you. i always have," rose said quietly.  
"but how is this supposed to work?" i asked after a moment of silence.  
i was thinking about what the meaning of "mate" could possibly entail. how did a creature with a human body mate with a creature that had a half animal and half human body? as i thought about it rose was quiet. she wanted me to think even though she knew the answer.  
"why don't we go for a walk. i think my legs are getting cramped from standing too still," rose suggested.  
i nodded. i thought for a moment about anything i might want to bring then i said,  
"hold on for a few minutes. i wanna get something from my room. i'll be down in a few."  
rose nodded and smiled as i flew up the seven flights of stairs. i banged on the wall below my trap door and the door fell open. i sprung upwards and landed lightly on my toes in my room. i grabbed my dress that i had worn the day before i was turned. it was black with a ribbon running through the back for the corset effect and ragged lace at the hems. i slipped on my black ballet slippers and put my hair back with a headband. i grabbed my drawing pad as well as my notebook, pencils, ink, quill, and charcoal. i shoved the items into my sack and grabbed my light overcoat. i jumped back down and flew back down the stairs.  
"wow. that was slow!" rose said jokingly.  
i elbowed her in the ribs and she grabbed me in a huge embrace. i smiled because it felt so right to be there.  
"come on, there's someone i want you to meet," she said as she pulled me onto her back.  
i had never ridden her before but this was actually very comforting. she turned herself around and walked slowly out of the house. she started to speed up as we reached the edge of the cobblestone driveway. soon we were at the edge of my territory. i lowered myself to her, hiding for fear that the sun would burn me. i had never seen the sun after i had been turned. she pushed the boulder out of the way of the entrance. when he stepped out i looked up to see that it was dark.  
"i requested, from the Lord and Lady, that once i spoke to you of my love for you and i found out that you did love me as well that the darkness remains as long as that love continues to burn. at least while you're outside of your territory. that way we could still have food and water," she explained.  
as we rode along i sat up and looked around us. we were riding throught a large field of ash. she galloped faster when she saw a line of trees on the other side of the field. when we reached the wooded area she slowed a little. she trotted through the brush and leaves. soon she stopped at a clearing. in the clearing stood a massive centaur. the lower half of him was clydesdale. when he heard rose he turned his head.  
"hello grandfather," rose said solemnly.  
"hello young one," the older centaur said in a deep voice.  
"grandfather, my friend here would like to know how to make a transformation. remember how you spoke of the blood drinker that you knew?" rose said hurriedly.  
the older centaur nodded as he looked me over. his eyes were dark as he took me in.  
"she is one of them," he stated.  
rose nodded. she tapped my leg with her hand as a signal and i dismounted. i stood there, in the clearing with two centaurs, feeling very uncomfortable.  
"you want to learn a transformation?" he asked.  
i nodded, afraid to speak for fear that my voice would aggitate him.  
"who is she to you, rose of darkness?" he asked as he turned to rose.  
"hopefully my mate," rose said as she shifted from side to side.  
"hmm. do your parents realize who you've chosen? more like what you've chosen?"  
"not yet. i wanted to find out if she could make the transformation before i told them," she explained.  
"so you're deceiving your parents for love. typical. how long have you known each other?"  
"only the God and Goddess knows. it's a really long time," rose said.  
"hmm. let me see your hand, er, what's your name child?" the centaur asked.  
"aeryn," i replied, cringing because my voice was tinkling like crystal bells, as always.  
"aeryn. give me your hand."  
i put out my hand and he grabbed it. he closed his eyes and muttered to himself.  
"hmm. she is quite young and quite powerful for someone her age. she just might be able to do it. i will give you instructions on how to make the transformation but you'll have to focus alot. you'll have to feed quite a bit as well. gathering and maintaining an energy level as high as what is needed for a transformation can be quite hard. be warned that if you do mate with my granddaughter and conceive her child you'll be staying in the state of a centaur until the child's birth. and it may end up being more like her or more like you. only time will well," the old centaur warned.  
i nodded.  
"depending on how quickly you gather energy there are many possible outcomes. you may not be able to make the transformation the first time. or you may be able to make it but you may not be able to maintain it for longer than a few minutes. it all depends on you and what you can do."  
i waited as he thought for a moment. when he snapped his fingers a sack appeared. he handed it to me.  
"take this back to your home. read the instructions. all of the items you'll need is in there. just be careful."  
i nodded again. 


	2. Chapter 2

i climbed back on rose and she turned and took off through the forest again. it seemed like forever before we reached the edge of the field of ash. she galloped quickly across the field,ash going up in puffs behind us like dust. we reached the tree and she moved the boulder again. she walked in slowly and stopped. i got of her back.  
"that didn't go so badly. he said you have potential. that's a good sign," rose said as she looked at me.  
"okay. well i'll work on it and see what i can do," i replied.  
"when you try to make the transformation i'd like to be there."  
i smiled.  
"you know you have one of the best smiles," rose said as she leaned her face down and kissed me.  
i sighed and wrapped my arms around her human torso. she hugged me back and held me for a moment. when she let go i felt a ripping sensation in the area where my heart would've been. i clutched my chest. when i looked up i saw that rose had staggered to the side.  
"i think the reason for this pain is it's showing us how much pain we are in when we are apart," rose said as she took a breath.  
i thought about that and nodded.  
"bye," i said after another moment.  
as i walked towards my home i thought about the adventure i had today. flew up the stairs and hurried up to my room. i plopped all of my stuff on my bed and took out the scroll of paper that was in the bag that the elder centaur had given me. when i unrolled it i saw there was more than one piece of parchment. i sat down in my recliner and began to read.  
*first off, it will take a lot of energy and focus to perform such a transformation. you must meditate for at least an hour every three hours. focus on your energy, morph it. see that your energy is in a ball. depending on the size of it you may try to stretch it out like an elastic band. i will give you day by day instructions so that you know when you'll be ready for it*  
that was the end of the page. i sat there, thinking about what i could end up doing. then i remembered that this was going to be worth it. i rolled the page back up and grabbed the next.  
*day one: take the crystals and put them in all corners of the room. they have already been charged for this event.  
next, take out the orange phial. drink the contents and you will become drowsy. resist the urge to sleep for one hour. when you sleep you may dream or may not. if you do and you remember it, when you wake up write it down in a log. do this twice the first day*  
when the first page finished i rolled the page back up and did as it said. i set the amethyst crystals in all of the corners. when they were all set a purple glowing line connected them. i grabbed the orange phial and opened it. it smelled like tangerines. ugh. i pinched my nose and gulped it down. i gagged. human stuff or anything that isn't blood almost always makes me gag. i sat down trying to get the taste out of my mouth. i suddenly felt quite bored. i grabbed my drawing pad and some charcoal. i began to draw the outline of my newly found girlfriend. the image felt fresh in my mind even though it was almost an hour ago when i saw her. i continued to draw for the next half hour. when i finished drawing i put the picture in my album.  
i felt very anxious and hyper. i had so much energy i didn't know what to do with. odd, i thought. i thought from the way rose's grandfather was talking about this transformation that it would take at least a week to try and perform it but i feel like i could transform now. , i thought to myself, did your grandfather anticipate that i may be able to pull off this transformation tonight?  
what?! what do you mean?! you can't be ready! my grandfather spoke to me when i got back and told me that no being has ever pulled off what you're trying to do! rose's voice rang in my head.  
how can i hear you? i said out loud.  
we're just that close, rose said as she laughed in my head.  
could you come over? but go in the courtyard okay? i said.  
sure. i wanna see if you can really do this, rose said quickly.  
i stepped outside the line and ran down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door. when i got to the courtyard in the back i saw that rose was standing next to the fountain.  
"how did you get here so quickly?" i asked, stunned.  
"that's one of the perks of being a centaur," rose replied as she laughed at my facial reaction.  
that's when i fell. it was only for a few minutes but it felt like an eternity. when i opened my eyes rose was standing over me, a small smile on her face.  
"what? what are you smiling about?" i asked.  
"look at yourself," she said, still smiling her small (but very) attractive smile, but it wasn't a smug look. it was out of pride.  
i tried to get up but i nearly fell back down. luckily for me my hind legs caught me. wait... my hind legs? that can't be right... unless... no it couldn't be that. could it?  
i walked over to the fountain and looked into the water. holy shit, i thought. i'm a centaur! then why did i still crave blood?  
"the body changes but the instincts don't," i muttered to myself.  
"well, i think it's better than nothing. actually you pulled off something that most thought was impossible!" rose said as she wrapped her arm around my torso.  
i looked down and realised that i wasn't wearing a top. i squeaked. sheesh. evidentally a transformation doesn't allow you to maintain anything you were wearing before-hand.  
"here. try this on. my mother made it for the centaur i'd end up mating with. she didn't realise that it would be only a part time thing though," rose said glumly, as she handed me a silk top that looked like a bikini top.  
"how do you know that it's only going to be part time?" i asked.  
"well what do you mean?" rose said.  
"well just because i'm not in this state permanently doesn't mean i don't love you," i said softly.  
"do you want to try now?" rose asked hopefully.  
i nodded slowly. from there i can't exactly describe what happened but it wasn't like i had expected. i expected to be in pain but i felt nothing but my heart pounding... my heart. i had a heart again. it felt wonderful to be able to feel excited again. i felt the spark that i had waited so long for. i didn't feel any emotional pain. when we reached our peak i almost screamed. and it wasn't out of pain. it was for more. when she pulled herself away i gasped as i turned around. i looked at her and noticed that she had a little twinkle in her eyes.  
"what?" i asked, feeling a little overwhelmed and confused.  
"only time will tell. if you haven't changed back within a couple of days i will take you to my grandfather again. if he thinks that you've conceived i will bring you to meet my entire herd. is something wrong?" she asked as she noticed me swaying back and forth.  
i looked up at her and whispered,  
"i think i'm pregnant."  
"you know?"  
"yeah. i feel real dizzy. do you know when side effects start?"  
"uhh, depends on the creature. my mother had them with me immediately. my older sister she hadn't noticed she was pregnant with until just before she foaled. my younger brother she got side effects half-way through."  
"how long is it going to be?"  
"depending on how well you take care of yourself it'll take up to a year and four months. if you do horribly the foal will just come out in a couple months. if you do really well it should only take a year. if you do the bare minimum but you take care of yourself well enough for the foal to survive then it'll be a little more than a year."  
"sheesh. so i'm going to be like this for up to a year? what am i supposed to tell my mother? or my father? and how will i feed the foal?" i asked as i started to worry about the semi-near future.  
"well i don't know what you'll tell your parents but feeding the foal... hmm... that would mean you wouldn't change back unless there was something that grandfather didn't mention... let's go to him now," rose said as she turned and darted off into the front yard.  
i followed her and thought about what i was going to end up being in a year. a mother? me? i didn't even think it was possible. but i didn't even think that this transformatio was either and i pulled it off.  
when we reached the clearing that we had met rose's grandfather in last time he wasn't there. rose took out a gold encrested horn and blew into it. soon i heard hooves trampling the ground nearby. rose's grandfather entered the clearing a short moment later.  
"whoa. who's this you have here now?" her grandfather said in shock.  
"it's aeryn," rose said proudly.  
the older centaur looked at me with approval and then he sniffed the air.  
"hold on a minute... you already mated?"  
rose and i looked at each other and then we looked at his grandfather and nodded solemnly.  
"a joyous time it is then! my granddaughter finally found her mate!" the elderly centaur boomed as he clapped his hands together.  
"yes but grandfather. did you leave anything out earlier?" tim asked.  
"i'll admit yes i did. she will go back and forth at will now that she knows that she can do the transformation. try it now," the older centaur said.  
"uhh, sir i don't think you realise it but you're going to be a great grandfather. and you want me to transform back?" i said cautiously.  
"you've conceived on the first try?"  
i nodded.  
"well then we must tell your parents rose of darkness."  
"we'll head over in a bit. i think aeryn is exausted from all of this extra weight," rose said as she tapped my haunches.  
my rear twitched at her touch.  
"aeryn you may call me grandfather jupiter. all of my brothers, sisters, and i were named after the planets. although my youngest child, your future mother-in-law was the only of my children who was named after a moon. i named her calisto."  
i nodded as i watched him dart into the woods nearby. that's when i decided to lay down and rest. i folded my legs beneath me and closed my eyes. 


	3. Chapter 3

as i slept i dreamed of a little filly centaur. she had a dark coat that was shiny even in the shadows. there were two things that i noticed most about her. she never left the shadows and she had bright violet eyes. i walked up to her and hugged her. mind you i'm still dreaming.  
"mom, i'm hungry. can we hunt tonight?" the filly asked.  
"yes phoebe we can hunt tonight," i had responded.  
the little filly danced around in excitement. i laughed. that's when i woke up. i saw tim, laying under a tree watching me, with a small smile on his face.  
"what?" i said as i watched him.  
"you were smiling in your sleep. you must have had a pretty good dream," he replied.  
"i dreamed that we had a little girl," i said as i remembered the little female centaur with the dark coat.  
tim nodded as he thought about it.  
"could be. but we have to get going. i told grandfather we'd be there in a little while. i don't think he expected you to sleep for the rest of the day and the rest of the next! my parents probably have a search party out there looking for me!" rose chuckled as she stood up.  
she walked over to me and took my hands. she helped me into a standing position and then i stretched. she started towards the east. i followed.  
she looked back towards me and said,  
"if you're ever out here alone and you're trying to find my home which, hopefully you will accept as your own one day, just listen for the sound of running water and follow it."  
i nodded nervously and continued to follow him. we came to a small clearing where i saw an entire herd of centaurs wandering near a waterfall. it was beautiful. rose looked at me as she walked towards another rather tall female.  
"mother," i heard her say to her.  
"ah, rose of darkness you're back. and with a friend i see. who might she be," calisto asked, eyeing me carefully.  
"this is aeryn. she's my mate."  
"well aeryn. welcome to the herd. how is life going for you?" calisto asked as she faced me full on.  
sheesh, i thought, she's really flipping tall.  
"alright," i said as cringed again at the sound of my own voice.  
she looked at me seriously and turned to rose.  
"rose of darkness calisto-marie chaser, may please speak with you for a minute. alone," calisto said.  
rose looked at me quickly and then nodded.  
i stood there while other centaurs looked at me curiously.  
"she doesn't seem like she's one of us," i heard them whisper among themselves.  
when rose came back she had a small smile on her face.  
"what?" i asked.  
"we're going to celebrate the coming of a new family member," rose said with a smile.  
i smiled and everyone came rushing at me. all of them hugged me and welcomed me to the family. i couldn't believe that they accepted me so easily. when all of the noise and craziness died down i pulled rose aside.  
"how is it that they are okay with me being with you?" i asked.  
"well, they just want me to be happy. i've waited a couple of centuries for a mate and they think my patience is being rewarded. but my mother told me to keep an eye on you and your hunger. she thinks that you may become thirsty. she's gone off to gather some special fruit that is actually made of blood. my father discovered it a few years ago. he kept it hidden so that in case we had visitors who were blood-drinkers that we would have something for them. it was given to us by persephone. a very kind goddess," rose explained.  
i nodded as i saw calisto re-enter the clearing with a woven basket full of the fruits. another centaur entered after her with another basket full of different types of fruits. the next centaur entered with a basket of bread. soon after came in yet another centaur. this one was male. he was even taller than calisto.  
rose leaned over and whispered,  
"that's my father's father. his name is archon. my father should be here any minute now."  
i watched as my father-in-law-to-be's father walked into the center of the herd with pride. he didn't look like he tried to look down at the rest of the herd but with how tall he was he kinda had to. when he saw me he walked over to rose and i.  
"now who might this be?" archon asked as he looked me over.  
"this is my mate, aeryn," rose replied.  
"ahh, your patience has been rewarded now hasn't it rose?" archon said as he looked his granddaughter dead in the eye.  
"yes sir," rose replied keeping the same solid eye-contact that archon did.  
when the tension broke an even taller centaur walked in, kissed calisto on the lips lightly.  
"so where is the guest of honor?" he said in a cheerful voice.  
"oh zax, why do you act so foalish?" archon scolded.  
"oh father this is no time to be scornful. my daughter has finally found a mate and i bet a handsome one too," zax said.  
zax was a bay. his human part was built and tall. he had dark hair and well tanned skin. he trotted over to rose and said,  
"who might this be? a frined? i thought you said... ohhh. i see... well either way as long as you're happy!"  
i looked at him and i couldn't help but smile. rose's father was very cheerful even though his grandchildren may end up drinking blood even though they may look like him.  
"my name is aeryn," i said quietly.  
"aeryn, welcome to our family," zax said.  
archon spoke then.  
"would somebody get the boar?" he said in a somewhat commanding voice. you could tell from the way he acted that archon was the leader of this herd. next thing i knew wood was being tossed into a couple of pits while two of the stronger looking males darted into the forest. when they came back they were dragging a dead boar behind them. they had already scewered the things and were working on hoisting them up and over each of firepits. someone lit a fire under one pig and another was keeping the fire going by blowing on the little flame. soon the baskets were being passed around while we watched the pigs roast over the flames. the smell of human food turned my stomach several times before i became used to the stench.  
rose had been right about the fruit though. someone handed me a cloth made of deer hide. i looked up to see a colt who looked frightened to high hell and back.  
"hi. what's your name?" i asked quietly so as to not to scare him.  
"my name is chris," he said.  
"thank you chris for this cloth," i said politely.  
he nodded quickly and smiled. just then someone started to play a flute and a harp. the combination of the two was beautiful. i wiped my lips and someone kissed them almost immediately after. i sat back on my haunches in surprise for it was getting darker out.  
"what's wrong hun? can't see? i thought your instincts are the same?" i heard rose laugh as she watched my face.  
"well evidentally my eyes aren't the same as they were before the transformation," i replied as i laughed with her.  
"even so they may not work the same but they sure do look the same. i love them," she said as she grabbed my torso and swung me around.  
after a while the herd finally started to settle down to sleep. rose lead me to a semi-secluded area closer to the waterfall. i knelt down and made myself comfortable. rose settled down next to me. i rested my head on her shoulder and she put her chin on top of it. she started to hum then. and that's how i fell asleep: hearing my mate humming to me. 


	4. Chapter 4

that night i dreamed again. the little filly i had called phoebe was there again. this time she carried a basket full of the blood-filled fruits. she handed me one and i bit into it.  
"mommy, why do i like the taste of this bloody fruit?" phoebe asked.  
" because of me and my secret," i replied warily.  
"what's your secret mommy?" she asked, looking at me with those piercing violet eyes.  
i didn't understand how someone so young could end up being so serious. i looked away from her in shame as i thought about how she had come to be and why she was so different from every other foal her age. it was unnerving to think about. i didn't know whether i should answer her with the truth or not tell her. she deserves to know the truth, a voice echoed in my head. it was my mother's voice. how could i? how could i tell her that she was half vampire? it was overwhelming for me to just tell her; imagining how she would react just made it worse. i looked back at my daughter that didn't exist yet and saw that she was watching me with those eyes again.  
"i was born a human. i was brought back from the dead as a vampire. when i met your father i made a transformation because i loved him. i still do," i finally said in an odd tone that wasn't my typical voice. it was hollow and almost dead.  
phoebe looked at me but with no reaction. she seemed like she was contemplating the information i had just given her. then she said,  
"okay." she trotted off to play with another filly. i sighed with relief and i woke up. tim was watching me again. i rubbed my eyes clean and tied to get up on my own.  
"what?" i said as fell back down.  
"you sighed in your sleep again," tim replied, smiling as he grabbed my hands and pulled me up.  
as i stood next to him i felt like a huge klutz. i couldn't even stand up on my own. foals could get up just minutes after they're born.  
"speaking of foals, my younger sister is supposed to be foaling soon," tim said, reading my mind.  
"really?" i said, looking at him in awe.  
"yeah. i think it'd be good for you to be there. you might learn something useful from the experience of watching," tim said as he smiled at me.  
my jaw dropped. did he just invite me to watch his younger sister give birth to her foal?  
"yes i did. it'll help you with your struggles of being a mother and being a centaur," tim said.  
"alright. i'll watch. where is she?" i replied a little reluctantly.  
"just follow me," tim said as he turned and walked towards the river.  
i did follow him. when we had walked for nearly a mile in silence he finally turned to me and whispered,  
"you don't ever want to startle a pregnant centaur. she'll become very agitated very quickly. every female has a special call that will calm them down when they're pregnant. you will find yours when you get further into your time. my sister's is the silver horn."  
he took out a little silver horn and blew into it. it was a pretty sound. after a few moments a large, very pregnant bay came out of the bushes.  
"ah, hi big brother. the time is growing closer. what is it that you need?" she said cheerfully.  
"laci, this is my mate aeryn. she's going to watch you if you're okay with that," tim said calmly.  
"oh? she's...?" laci replied.  
tim nodded proudly as he looked at me. i smiled back and then looked at laci. it was amazing how big she was.  
"how far along are you?" i asked.  
"i'm going on a year in a couple of days," laci replied as smiled calmly at me.  
"may i ask who the father is?" i said, nervous about whether or not spouses or mates was a typical topic of conversation.  
"you mean the other mother?" she said, still smiling. although this smile was more of a smirk.  
"er i guess. you're...?" i stuttered, amazed that centaur's sexuality isn't so different from a human's or a vampire.  
laci laughed and nodded.  
"our sexuality isn't specific to male or female," laci explained.  
"so you can become pregnant by a female?" i asked, still in shock.  
"yes."  
wow, i thought, so their world is different but not by much. i looked around me at all of the green. i was beginning to realise how bright it was here. i hadn't been in the light since i had been turned because if we vampires are out in the natural light for too long then we would end up burning away. it isn't a very pretty sight. and it isn't a very pleasant feeling. besides we typically get nauseated in the sunlight if we're out for even a short period of time anyways. but right now the sun felt nice. evidentally we can stand some sun when we've got the body of another creature.  
"how would i know when i'd be ready to have my foal?" i asked after a moment of silence.  
"well for me it's when my ribs feel like they're being cracked, ow, like now," laci replied as she grabbed her side.  
she turned and went back into the bush.  
"you can come in if you'd like. i think i might be foaling today," laci said as she kept walking.  
i followed, intrigued by how much strength she had to keep walking after she just basically had her rib broken by her own child. i watched as she lay down and rolled her lower half to the side. and just like any creature would she started to push. for the next ten minutes i watched her struggle to push her child out of her body.  
"would you like water or any thing?" i asked, trying to figure out if there was something i could do to ease her pain.  
"have tim get a bucket of water and dump it on me," laci replied as she breathed heavily.  
i nodded quickly and trotted out quickly. tim was sitting just outside the bush. when i came out he stood. "an update?" tim said jokingly.  
"no. laci asked if you could get a bucket of water and dump it on her?" i replied.  
tim nodded and trotted off. i went back into the bush to see a little leg sticking out of the bay.  
"uhh, laci, i don't know if you feel it but there's a leg coming out," i said nervously.  
"oh? is there anything else coming out yet?" she asked as she took a couple quick breaths.  
by the time she had finished her sentence another leg was out.  
"yeah, another leg," i replied as i took a deep breath.  
"thank you for updates on what's going on at that end because as you may have noticed, i can't see what's going on down there," laci said with a quick laugh and then a small moan.  
just then an arm reached in, holding a bucket filled to the brim with water. i grabbed it and poured it gently over laci's entire body, avoiding only her rear so that i wouldn't end up possibly drowning the foal. after a few moments she started to push again. come on you can do this, i kept chanting in my head. she gave another push and a good portion of the back end came out.  
"almost the entire back end is out now," i said excitedly.  
"good. this is painful," laci replied.  
i nodded. i continued to watch closely for anything that could go wrong but nothing did, to my relief.  
"more water," laci said after a while.  
i got up again and brought the bucket back out. tim grabbed it, knowing what his sister wanted. he took off toward the river and i turned back into the bushes. laci gave another big push and almost the entire body was out now. all that was left was the head. i told her this. that's when she started to panic.  
"what if it's head is wrapped up in the umbilical cord or something?"  
"i don't think there's anything wrong. give it another push. your best push. it'll be all over soon. just one more push," i said in my most soothing voice.  
she calmed down quite a bit and then she pushed. the head came out. i picked up the foal and ripped away the sack with my hand. it was a filly. i smiled as i carried the tiny thing to laci's front end.  
"it's a filly," i told her.  
she smiled.  
"i kinda figured. when two females mate you'll always end up with a female. if you mate with a male it's a fifty-fifty chance," laci replied in a hoarse voice. she was breathing heavily still. a hand held a bucket of water again. i put the newborn filly down gently next to her mother and grabbed the water.  
"would you like a drink or would you want me to rinse you off?" i asked as i held the bucket.  
"i'll drink this. ask tim to come in and say hello to his niece. also if you two could watch alisia for me while i go rinse off in the river i'd greatly appreciate that," laci replied.  
i nodded and turned to leave. when i stepped out of the bushes i saw tim laying under a tree, writing. he looked up a moment later and smiled.  
"so? did you learn anything useful?"  
i nodded as i thought about how much pain laci had to have been in when she was in labor. tim went into the bushes and settled down to watch alisia while laci went to rinse herself off. i went back in after laci had given me a hug for trying to be helpful. after laci had come back tim andi left her so that she could have some time with her daughter. when we got back to our little clearing i looked up to see that it was dark. laci had been in labor basically all day! although i don't recall when i woke up so that counts against me as well. i settled down under a tree near the waterfall itself and took out my notebook that i had barely been able to grab when i had left my mother's house. what is she thinking right now? i thought as i stared up at the night sky.  
tim saw my look and smiled slightly.  
"what's wrong?" he asked after he saw that my facial reactions to the sky weren't going to change.  
"i never got the chance to tell my family. my mother is probably worried about me becoming dehydrated or something. my cousins are probably bored as sin without me there to entertain them. the younger ones that is. the older ones who are around my age are either cheering me on for going outside our walls or they're partying because i'm gone. the elder family member's are probably shaking their heads in dismay at me making foolish choices, yet again. they have no clue what i've been doing. they have no clue that i'm going to have your daughter. they, in general, don't have a single clue. i feel so guilty," i explained as kept staring at the sky.  
"you miss home. i'm sorry. i didn't mean for you to be sad while you were away. if you'd like we could try to go see them tomorrow evening," tim replied with feeling, his voice was slightly sorrowful.  
"i'd like that very much. and i'm sure that my parents would appreciate it as well. my father could have returned from the ninety year war. he'd be thrilled to find out that he'll be a grandfather. although i'm not sure how he'll take finding out that his granddaughter will end being a blood-drinking centaur," i said as i thought about my eight hundred year old father.  
he had been volunteered as general to the vampuric army to defend our world from intruders from another demension that someone overheard the intruders call "the real world". this was the real world. there was nothing else. there couldn't be. it's in every history book i've ever read. there are no other worlds with life even close to being as intelligent as we were. we had to knows for a fact if the war will end, or if it already haws ended. i'm truly hoping so.  
a tear rolled down the side of my face as i continued to think about all of the possible outcomes of the war that has lasted almost an entire century. tim saw the tear and pulled me to him. as he held me he rocked me. after a while i started to drift in and out of consciousness. he began to hum my lullaby and completely let go of my reality. 


	5. Chapter 5

sometimes life just doesn't make any sense. one day i'm feeling happy and everything is fine and the next day i'm feeling really annoyed. is it because i'm pregnant? i asked myself or is it because i feel so guilty about leaving my family without a warning sign of any form? or is it just how i've always been? when ever i got like this in the past i would go hunting alone. the taste of deer blood was often a calming thing for me, like a comfort food for the faeries. but now i didn't know whether i could go hunting or not. my form wasn't exactly helpful either. how ould i be able to catch anything with four legs?  
i had been up for a couple of hours already. i was laying under a tree watching rose sleep. it was still early for her. finally i got too my feet and walked away quietly. when i got to the main clearing i saw that archon was staring into the embers of the fire that had been burning last night.i turned to go to the west when he cleared his voice.  
"can't sleep?" he said.  
"no. i keep feeling annoyed and i don't know what to do," i replied.  
"well, what did you do before you made this minor change?" he asked, waving his hand at my body with a smile on his face.  
"i used to go hunting but there's no way i could hunt the way i'm used to," i responded dully.  
"well you may not be able to hunt exactly the way you used to but you could still hunt. we have bows. they work just as well as your fangs just you won't dig in immediately and you don't pounce. it'll scare the kill," archon said as he looked at me.  
i raised my eyebrow and looked at him. he turned away and walked towards the south. "are you going to come get your equiptment or are you just going to stand there like an idiot?" he asked as he continued to walk away.  
i frowned and trotted after him. nobody ever called me an idiot. and if they did they didn't get a chance to walk away from the fight that happened immediately afterwards. but for some reason i didn't know i didn't remark on his comment. about a mile south from the centaurs' clearing we came up to a cave. archon lit a torch and continued into the cave. as i followed i noticed the strange and detailed archaic carvings on the walls. they were of a war between the werewolves and the vampires and how the centaurs tried to bring peace between the two species. it worked out that werewolves ended up leaving this planet to go to another.  
werecreatures weren't very popular anymore after that. the centaurs were a very peaceful type. further into the cave i saw a castle that looked like it had been built at the very peak of a mountain. the sun was setting behind it and in the valley next to it was a herd of centaurs celebrating a good year of harvest. the fauns had come out to play their flutes, too. we don't see many of them in this area either. the next picture that i saw made me freeze.  
never have i felt so cold in my life. my chest felt tight inside though nothing was there. my stomach knotted up as well. it was the picture of another castle but this one was built into the side of a dormant volcano. my eyes grew wide as i continued to stare. a tree had just been planted next to the castle. standing in front of the castle was a centaur kissing a vampire. the moon was out in the night sky.  
by this time archon had stopped to look at the picture as well.  
"who are they?" i asked in shock. the woman, the vampire, looked kind of like my great-grandmother, alice.  
"that was my father in that carving. he had fallen in love with that woman many years ago. but when his herd found out about it they burned her and hunted him. that's why his generation and back aren't with us any longer. they went to war with each other. but i don't blame him. she was a very beautiful person. she was more like my mother than my mother was. i was just about to be two years old when they built that house," archon explained as he looked longingly at the pictures of his step-mother and father.  
"that was my great-grandmother," i said softly.  
"yes, she had been with a vampire before she had met my father. they had quite the family going when her husband was put to death for decapitating his own kind," archon said as he turned away from the wall.  
he continued to walk and i followed. i thought about what history this cave had for the entire world. my great-grandfather used to kill our kind? i couldn't believe it but it would definitely explain why no-one ever mentioned him when i lived at home. finally we came to a cavern where every wall had some form of a weapon hanging from a hook. one wall was covered in bows of all forms: crossbows, repeater crossbows, long bows made of several different types of wood, longbows that could shoot different types of arrows, and still others that could shoot several arrows at one time.  
another wall had guns of all kind. and still another wall had swords, shields, axes, maces, katanas, everything. any weapon you could think of was here. they even had a small cabinet of grenades, bombs and other such things.  
"this is where we would store our weapons after a great battle. grandson, jason, is almost a master at blacksmithing. he's made a quarter of the weapons made of iron or steel. this was his first longsword he made," archon said as he held up a fairly rusty sword.  
i nodded and continued to look around at everything. but my mind kept wandering back to the drawings on the cave walls we had passed on the way here.  
"your best bet would be the birch longbow that was made by my second cousin from alsterion. he sends us weapons and other gifts every now and again. they work really well. this one shoots up to six arrows at once and the arrows can either be fire arrows or static. you may pick a quiver. i'll give it to you as a gift for becoming part of my family and my granddaughter's mate. be careful with it and take care of it," archon said as he handed me a glowing white bow with an empty quiver.  
he then showed me where the arrows were kept. i chose regular arrows so that when i went to drink from the creature i hunted i wouldn't get burned or electricuted. archon lead me back out of the cave and into the clearing once more.  
"there's a clearing just a couple miles west of here where deer graze often. you'll more than likely find a decent selection there. happy hunting," archon said with a smile.  
i smiled back and thanked him. i turned and faced the west. i started in that direction. after about an hour i took a deep breath in through my nose. could smell almost twenty deer. crept up slowly to the bushes that surrounded the clearing and peeked through. there were maybe twelve does, a buck and a couple fawns. i put six arrows in and pulled back the string. when i let go the arrows all went zipping in different directions. two hit the buck and the other four hit four different does. my jaw dropped as i watched the deer flee from the clearing in shock and terror. when the area was cleared i stepped out of the bushes and approached the buck. the blood oozed out of his wounds and clenched my teeth. i lifted his neck to my lips and sunk my teeth into his jugular. the taste was sweet after having to eat the bloody fruits for the last two days.  
as i moved on to the does i thought about what to do with the bodies. as i finished up on the last doe i figured that i could hide the bodies for now and come back with rope to bring back some fresh meat for my new family. i galloped back to the area where the centaurs were located and saw that rose was sitting under a nearby tree. i walked up to her and smiled. she smiled back and said,  
"feeling better?"  
i nodded then said,  
"where could i get rope?"  
she pulled some out of the hole in the tree she was sitting under. when she handed it to me i thought about the catch i had waiting.  
"you eat deer meat right?" i asked.  
rose nodded and then said,  
"you probably don't have enought though."  
"we'll see," i replied with a smirk.  
i took off again to where i hid the deer bodies. i hog-tied them all together and began the journey back. when i reached the clearing i saw rose raise her eyebrows at me.  
"is this enough?" i asked as innocently as i could.  
rose nodded as she watched me in awe. i dragged the bodies over to the fire pit and let the ropes go. the rest of the herd came over and looked at the catch.  
"nice work!" i heard from someone behind me.  
"we'll have enough food for at least one meal!" i heard someone else say.  
"yay! food!" i heard a younger male shout.  
"i think we should make her the new hunter," calisto said to archon.  
"but what would aroc say? he'd get angry if we told him he was being replaced. and by a female no less," archon replied with a smile on his face. just then a male centaur that was about six feet tall (including his horse half) walked into the clearing. when he saw the deer meat he walked over to it.  
" who hunted it?" he asked.  
"i did," i said as i stepped out from under the tree that i had been standing under with rose.  
"so you think you can hunt? just because you became part of the herd so easily after living the lif of a blood-drinker doesn't mean you're oh-so-good at every little thing. so let's see how good you really are. a bow and arrows. both are to be non-magickal," aroc said.  
i didn't understand what the hell was going on until rose pulled me aside after the herd started stampeding towards the south.  
"you were just challenged by our best hunter to a hunt! do you know what this means?" she exclaimed.  
"no. what?" i replied.  
"it means that if you lose you'll not be allowed to come onto this part of our land for an entire year!" she started to explain as we walked towards the south, following the rest of the herd.  
"oh great! i fall in love with someone i may not ever see again! just great!" i said.  
"but if you win you could rank up to hunter immediately! that's one of the most important centaurs in the herd! without them we don't get food. and not just anyone can be a hunter. they have to be able to get enough food for everyone in the herd, they have to gather fruits. they have to know how to get their shots down in less than two and a half minutes. meaning if it takes more than one shot, not counting if you use more than one arrow at a time, you lose. after you let go of that string you have two and a half minutes to have the kill fall over dead or you lose," rose continued.  
"sounds like a lot of pressure," i replied. that's when we started to run. 


End file.
